still the earth breathes

arqios

 

"Still the Earth Breathes"

Beneath the ash-grey skies of longing,

the earth breathes—not for you,

not for me, but for itself.

A pulse steady, undaunted by

the footsteps we leave behind.

 

You will see the shadows move,

and not ask why.

You will taste the salt of oceans past,

and still the waves will rise—

relentless, unforgiving, and free.

 

They bend, they whisper,

yes, they falter, but like the trees

that bow to the storm, they rise again.

 

I have walked through cobbled streets of sorrow,

where silence hums louder than hymns.

I have felt the crack of thunder in my chest—

but still I press forward, like the gull that rides the tempest.

 

Do you hear it? This rhythm beneath the quiet,

this song that shapes the rippling dawn?

It is there, between the bracken and stone,

between the promise of sky and its return to earth.

 

You cannot still it, nor should you try.

For even as I stumble, even as the gale bends me low,

I rise—not alone, but as one with the tide, with the soil,

with the breath that remains when all else fades.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Comments +

Comments11

  • sorenbarrett

    A truly great soliloquy that touches the soul with some wonderful lines and metaphor
    (the earth breathes—not for you,
    not for me, but for itself
    .A pulse steady, undaunted by
    the footsteps we leave behind.)
    So true a self evident truth that we all try to deny
    (You will taste the salt of oceans past,
    and still the waves will rise)
    Another great set of lines

    (You cannot still it, nor should you try.
    For even as I stumble, even as the gale bends me low,
    I rise—not alone, but as one with the tide, with the soil,
    with the breath that remains when all else fades.)

    Such an empowering stanza and so fitting to end on.
    The resto of the lines I would not are just as great but so as not to site the whole poem I have noted only these but it is the whole poem that is great as a whole and it is a crime to break it up like this. So well written i believe that this is my favorite or all your writes and could easily be placed in any great book of poetry. Congratulations on a masterpiece. Without saying a fave

    • arqios

      Thanks Soren. This is a much valued appraisal. Most grateful and appreciative 🙏🏻🕊

    • Doggerel Dave

      A hymn of hope for this earth beyond my words. I leave it to Soren above and his tribute with which I heartily agree.

      • arqios

        Cheers Dave, your affirming words mean more than I can say🙏🏻🕊

      • arqios

        Perhaps there shall still be hope….

      • arqios

        Thanks for the Fave 🤩 @Doggerel Dave🙏🏻🕊

      • Poetic Licence

        A wonderful message of hope this planet, and beautiful and brilliant

        • arqios

          Thanks so much PL/TN🙏🏻🕊

          • Poetic Licence

            You are very welcome

          • arqios

            Thanks heaps @Somam Fagavan for the Fave 🤩🙏🏻🕊

          • Mottakeenur Rehman

            Your words weave resilience into every line, echoing the earth’s untamed spirit. A hauntingly beautiful reminder that we, too, rise—rooted in something greater.

            • arqios

              Thanks MR 🙏🏻🕊️how good it is to be participants in a larger universal schema.

            • Tristan Robert Lange

              Wow. Just wow! Hands down, a phenomenal write that just speaks on so many levels. It is profoundly true and deserving of the faves and praise it is getting. Bravo, dear poet and friend. 🌹👏

              • arqios

                Thanks for the Fave, mate. Glad this resonated🙏🏻🕊️truly appreciated🤩

                • Tristan Robert Lange

                  You are most welcome, my friend!

                • Tony36

                  Excellent write

                  • arqios

                    Thanks so much Tony, much appreciated 🙏🏻🕊

                    • Tony36

                      You're welcome

                    • David Wakeling

                      Wow that's what I'm talkin' 'bout. Nature in particular our own Earth doesn't breathe for us. It's there for its own sake. There is a touch of T.S. Eliot in this piece which I really admire. Wonderful poem to read out loud.

                      • arqios

                        Oh man, what I was aiming for was far less than T.S. Eliot so this is a bit of a buzz. Thanks compadre 🙏🏻🕊

                      • Goldfinch60

                        The earth is our life and may it breathe on us forever arqios.

                        Andy

                        • arqios

                          🙏🏻 Amén🕊️



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